Dr. Pyko said that such sounds are becoming increasingly common because of the shift to city living.

But this appears to be the tip of the iceberg
Already, over half our planet’s 7 billion population reside in urban districts, with many of them boasting 10-million-plus inhabitants, such as Delhi, Tokyo and Mexico City.

But the UN, in a report published last year, predicts that this percentage is due to balloon over the next 30 years.

It forecast that city dwelling will grow from 3.5 billion dwellers to over 6 billion.

Every decibel counts …
So just how little is a five-decibel change? The following noise levels should give you some idea: